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Visitors take a boat tour around a nipa palm farm in Ben Tre province. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre, renowned as the kingdom of coconut and for its large acreages of fruit farming , is striving to become a top destination for ecotourism and river-based tours. ecotourism projects in Ben Tre is Nghenh Xuan Farmstay in Thanh Trieu commune in the district of Chau Thanh, which lies on the banks of Thanh Trieu River. Visitors pick fruits in a farmstay in Ben Tre province. (Photo: VNA) Guests of the farmstay can take part in a wide range of adventures here, from river swimming, boat trips to fishing and cycling in the neighbouring countryside, he said, adding that the farmstay also cooperates with ten plantations to offer the guests sight-seeing and fruit-picking tours. VNA … [Read more...] about Ben Tre emerging destination of ecotourism, river-based tours

With the recent inauguration of many pedestrian streets, themed spaces, and night tours, authorities in Hanoi hope to give the city’s night economy a major boost. Every evening at about 7:00 pm, Hanoi’s Old Quarter begins to bustle with tourists rushing between shops, food stalls, and entertainment venues. The Old Quarter’s evening rush holds such a footing in Hanoian culture that nicknames have even been given to certain areas. The intersection of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen Streets, for example, is affectionately called 'International Intersection' while Ta Hien Street is known as 'Beer Street,' Gam Cau Street is known as 'BBQ Street,' To Lich street is called 'Mixed Fruit Street,' and Tong Duy Tan Street is dubbed 'Food Street.' Weekends in the Old Quarter are especially busy, with groups of tourists and locals gathering in the area for entertainment and food, art performance venues, and karaoke parlors. The pedestrian street around Hoan Kiem Lake has also been a major … [Read more...] about Hanoi seeks to develop night economy

Any foreigner who can unscramble the rich tapestry of the Vietnamese language deserves the keys to the city, a Nobel Prize, a Golden Buzzer from Simon, and, while we’re at it, let’s toss in an honorary ambassadorship. The plethora of homonyms, at least to the Western ear, is an exciting feature, as there is nothing more catastrophic than calling someone a horse’s ass when you simply want to wish them a nice day. It’s not as if the language had a few ups and downs here and there as does every tongue, but conveying even the simplest sentiments can be precarious. How about the infamous ‘em yêu anh, anh yêu em, em thương anh’ and ‘anh thương em” jigsaw puzzle? It’s damn good that most people know ‘I love you’ in English, for sorting the ‘em’s’ from the ‘anh’s’ and the north from the south is quite a hurdle. Let’s look at personal pronouns in Vietnamese because addressing people is the first and most basic step in any relationship, thus a logical starting point. That innocent … [Read more...] about Vietnamese language torture